South Carolina Immigration Law Challenged by 16 Nations

Citing concerns for their citizens, sixteen nations from Latin America and the Caribbean have asked to join in the U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit against South Carolina’s controversial law that aims to curb the number of undocumented immigrants in the state.

Mexico, Honduras, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile and other countries filed papers Tuesday, asking to join the Justice Department’s litigation in Charleston.

The law would require law officers who make a traffic stop to call federal immigration officials if they suspect someone is in the country illegally. Opponents say the measure would encourage racial profiling.

The 16 nations state in their filings that the law would lead to state-sanctioned discrimination against their citizens.

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Mexican President Felipe Calderón said that Arizona’s law–which has similar language to the one in South Carolina–was “discriminatory” and lawyers representing the nation filed a legal brief in support of one of five lawsuits challenging the law.

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